Mayor Kirk Caldwell today signed Emergency Order No. 2020-05, announcing an overnight island-wide curfew for the upcoming three-day holiday weekend. From Friday, April 10 thru Monday, April 13, all non-essential travel in all motor vehicles and other wheeled means of transportation travel on our roadways is prohibited. Hours of the curfew are 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily during the three-day pilot period. This curfew is to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on O‘ahu, promote social distancing, and enforce the Mayor’s Stay at Home Order. Exceptions to the curfew include but are not limited to delivery services, and going to and from Essential Business, drug stores, and hospitals. Violation of this Order is punishable as a misdemeanor, with fines up to $5,000, up to a year in jail, or both.
“I just want to remind everybody to think about why we’re doing what we’re doing,” said Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard. “We’re doing this so that we can get out of this situation as quickly as possible and everyone can get back to their normal lives. That is the goal in mind.”
In addition, the Honolulu Police Department will be conducting stricter enforcement at beach parks to prevent gatherings in violation of the Stay at Home Order. This is in response to the hundreds that flocked to O‘ahu beaches last weekend.
“I know this is a three-day weekend but please, don’t gather,” said Mayor Caldwell. “If you’re going out to get some exercise, do so, then return to your residence. I can’t express enough how important it is for everyone to continue to social distance and stay at home. Now is not the time to let our guard down.”
In an effort to provide supplemental funding to the City and County of Honolulu during this coronavirus outbreak, Mayor Caldwell has sent a letter to United States Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin asking him for a direct payment from the Coronavirus Relief Funds under the CARES Act. This funding would be used to cover expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and costs from the virus that are not accounted for in the budget. The full letter is attached in this press release.